Machine eor handling materials



J. C. FRENCH.

MACHINE FOR HANDLING MATERIALS.

. APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 7, l9! 7. 1 17,696. Patented 001;. 7,1919.

J. C. FRENCH.

Patented Oct. 7,1919.

4 SHEETS-SHEEI 2.

J C. FRENCH.

MACHINE FOR HANDLING MATERIALS.

' APPLICATLON FILED SEPT. 1, 1911.

Patented Oct. 7; 1919. 4 SHEET$SHEE|' 3 l. C. FRENCH. MACHINE FOB HANDLING MATERlALS.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 1. 1911.

"1,3173%; Patented Oct..7,1919.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

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JAMES C. FRENCH, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR T0 FREDERICK C. AUSTIN, OF

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

MACHINE FOR HANDLING MATERIALS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented. Oct. 7, 1919.

Application filed September 7, 1917. Serial No. 190,248.

citizen of the United States of America, and.

resident of Chicago, Cook county, Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Machines for Handling Materials, of which the followlng 1s a spec1fication.

My invention relates to machines or apparatus for unloading materials, such as sand or dirt or crushed rock or other similar things, from cars, and for transferring the materials to a wagon or to a hopper or any other receptacle, or on to the .ground, depending upon the conditions and requirements.

Generally stated, the object of my invention is to provide a novel and improved machine, involving an excavating bucket such, for example, as an ordinary clam-shell bucket, which can be lowered into the ma terials carried by the car, and which can then be raised and carried to a position over the wagon, or to any other place where it is desired to discharge the materials.

A special object is to provide an improved construction and arrangement whereby the bucket of a machine of this kind may be swung back and forth directly across the machine itself, under the control of the operator, so that very little space will be requlred for the machine in unloading materials from cars standing on a track, and whereby turntables or laterally swinging booms or other means of similar character, will not be nec essary.

It is also an object to provide certain details and features of construction and combinations tending to increase the general efficiency and-desirability of an unloading machine of this mode OfOPGIiLtlOII.

To this and other useful ends, my invention consists in matters hereinafter set forth and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is an end elevation of an unloading machine embodying the principles of my invention.

Fig. 2 is a plan, on a larger mach-inc shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a vertical longitudinal section on line 33 in Fig. 2. 1

Fig. 4 is a transverse section on line 44 in' Fig.

scale, of the articular construction and Fig. 5 is a detail view showing the drum mechanism by which the operation of the bucket is controlled.

As thus illustrated, my invention comprises a body 1, mounted on wheels 2 and ,3, the latter being connected by a sprocket chain 4, and 7 suitable sprockets, with the transverse shaft 5 mounted in suitable bearings 6 on said body. An engine or motor 7 of anysuitable character, is mounted on the body, and the drive shaft thereof is connected by spur gearing 8 with the short shaft 9 which extends parallel with the crank shaft or drive shaft of the engine, but at right angles to the shaft 5 (see Fig. 2), and the shaft 9 is connected :by a sprocket chain 10 and suitablesprockets with a shaft 11, which latter extends longitudinally of the machine. This shaft 11 is provided with bevel gears 12 and 13, which are loose thereon. and provided with clutch mechanism connected with a clutch shifting lever 14, which latter is suitably connected with the hand-lever 15 which is mounted Within reach of the operator occupying the seat 16 on a platform 17 suitably supported at a distance above the top ofthebody. The shaft 5 has a bevelgear 18 to be engaged by the gears 12 and 1 3, so that the transmission of power to the wheels 3 is subject to control through the mediumof the lever 15 by which the gears 12 and 13 are connected to and released from the shaft, depending upon Whether it is desired to move the machine backward or forward. a

A longitudinal shaft 19 is mounted "in suitable bearings 20, the latter being supported by the frame members 21 :in suitably elevated positions on the body. Gear wheels 22 are mounted to turn on the shaft 19, and the crane-arm or swinging beam 23 is preferably arch-shaped, or shaped like an elongated bail, so that the legs or opposite sides thereof are outside of and secured to the gear wheels 22, whereby the latter and the crane arm operate in unison about a horizontal axis. A horizontal shaft .24 extends longitudinally of-the machine, parallel with and directly under shaft 19, and is mounted in suitable bearings 25 on the body. This shaft 24 is provided with pinions 26 which engage the lower sides of the gear wheels 22, whereby the latter are oscillated to carry the crane-arm 23 back .and forth across the machine. This shaft 24 is provided 27 which has its upper side engaged by a Worm'or screw 28 mounted on a shaft 29' supported in suitable bearings on the body of the machine. loose on the shaft 29, to rotate thereon, and

arein engagement with the bevel pinion 32 the gear wheels 22, thereby to reverse'the movement of the crane-arm; A hand-lever 33 is suitably connected to shift the clutch of the gears 30 and 31, so that either gear can be connectedto the'shaft at will, and is arrangedwithin reach of the operator.

The clam-shell bucket 34: comprises sections which are pivotally connected together at 35. Thisbucket is of a wellknown form, or any suitable form, and is supported by the usual hoist line 3-6, which latter is supported'by a she-ave 37 on the end of the crane arm 23, and is'then brought downward and over the loose pulley 3-8 on the shaft 19, and then downward to the drum 39 on the shaft 11, which drum is loose on said shaft, but is rotated thereon when the sliding clutch member 40 is adjusted into engagement with theend of the drum, through the medium of a hand lever 41 suitably connected with said clutch member A line 42 extends over a sheave 43 on the crane-arm and downward to the bucket to lift the pivotal point or connecting joint 35 between the two sections of the bucket, in the usual and well known manner. This line 42 then extends downward and over the other loose pulley '38 on the shaft 19, and then downward to the drum 44: on the shaft 11, this drum being loose on said shaft but rotatable thereon when the sliding clutch member 45 is adjusted into engagement with the end of'the drum. This may be done by a hand lever 46 suitably connected with said clutch member 45, whereby the two lines 36 and 42 are controlled by winding drums, which latter are in turn controllable at will to wind up or unwind either line. To steady the bucket, and reventthe' bucket from turning around, fleXi le connections 47, one for each corner of the bucket, are attached thereto and then stretched over the loose pulleys 48 on the shaft 19, the ends of these connections being provided with weights 49 to keep the two connections taut; but it will be understood that these weights d9 are not heavy enough to draw the. bucket out of position, and do not interfere with the raising and lowering or. opening and closing movements of the bucket, 'nor with the swinging movements of-the bucket with the crane-arm.

' A tilting hopper. 50 is loosely mounted on the shaft 19, and isnormally held in receiving position by a link 51 connected thereto,

Bevel gears 30 and 31 are.

which link engages a hook 52 on the end of the lever-arm 53, which is mounted on the rock shaft 5%, the latter being 'controlledby a hand lever 55 or other suitable device. When the crane-arm is controlled to bring the loaded bucket into position over the hopper '50, the load is then discharged, from the bucket into the hopper, after which the lever55 can be operated, releasing the hopper, thereby permitting the entire contents of the hopper to be discharged into a wagon hen the bucket islowered' into the car or gondola 56 standing on the (See Fig. 1.

track, it is in open position, as shown on dotted lines, and is then closed to pick up a load, by an upward pull on the line 42, and the bucket is then raised out of the car. The crane-arm can then be swung over to an extent to bring the bucket directly above the wagon 57, if such is desired. However, ifno wagon is waiting, the bucket can be opened to discharge its load into said hopper. The hopper can then be returned to normal or receiving position by a pin 58 inserted through'a hole in one of the gear wheels 22, or by a pin of this kind inserted in each gear wheel, so that the hopper will be raised into a receiving position when the crane-arm and bucket are swung over to receive another load.

. A friction clutch 59 is preferably provided between the engine 7 and the spur gearing 8, so that the power transmitting connection can be opened and closed at wil with this construction, the machine requires very little space for the operation thereof, at one side of the freight car, and can be moved along from time to time as the unloading of the materials may require. By operating the hand lever 15 the gears 12 and 13' are controlledto propel the machine either forward or backward, the bucket swings directly across the machine, through the space in the crane-arm 23, and no turn table or other vertical pivot is necessary for the movements of thebucket; The machine isadapted to operate at sufficient speed to quickly unload the materials.

It will be understood, of course, that by the term bucket is meant anyreceptacle or deviceto pick up a-load. 7

During the operation of the machine, the crane-arm 23 can be moved to any position within its range of movement, which for example may be from a horizontal position at one sideof the machine to a horizontal position at the other side thereof, and the worm gear 2728 will always serve to hold the crane-arm in any position into which it is moved. A machine of this kind, to be seen, is adapted for handling materials of various kinds and may be used for eXcavat ing purposes, as well as for simply transferrmg loose materials from one place to another. WVhen used as an unloading ma chine, the bucket 34 is simply lowered sufliciently to bring it into the mass of materials in the car body; but when used as an excavator, the said bucket can be lowered to any suitable or desired extent, so that it may pick up a load of earth from the top of the ground, or from the bottom of a pit or ditch, depending upon the character of the work.

It is obvious, of course, from the construction shown anddesoribed, that the restoration of the hopper or dumper 50 to its normal or receiving position is incidental to the backward and downward swinging movement of the crane-arm. The operator simply controls the mechanism to shift the crane-arm and the bucket back to a point over the car, and the restoration of the hopper or dumper 50 is a thing that takes care of itself, without any special effort or attention on the part of the operator, in the manner explained.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. An unloading machine comprising a body, a crane-arm mounted on said body to swing back and forth about a longitudinal and horizontal axis, a bucket supported on said crane-arm to swing back and forth therewith above said axis, so that the bucket may receive a load at one side of the machine and then swing toward the opposite side to discharge the load, a dumper operating about said axis to transfer the load from said bucket to a wagon at the other side of the machine, and devices to control said crane-arm and bucket.

2. A structure as specified in claim 1, in which said cranearm has a clear space occupied by said dumper when the crane arm is vertical and in which space said bucket swings to a position directly above said axis and over said dumper, and means to return said dumper to said space after dumping the load.

3. A structure as specified in claim 1, in which said devices include (1) lines and winding drums therefor to raise and lower and control the bucket, (2) means to reverse the rotation of either drum at will, (3) means to reverse the motion of said crane-arm at will, and (4) means on the gear wheels to engage the dumper to restore said dumper to receiving position by the reverse motion of the crane-arm, said lines being spaced apart to accommodate said dumper between them, said drums being.

disposed below said axis and parallel therewith.

4. A structure as specified in claim 1, said dumper consisting of a tilting hopper mounted on said axis, adapted to receive the load from said bucket, means for at will causing the hopper to tilt by gravity into Copies of this patent may be obtained for dumping position, and means operable about said axis to restoresaid hopper to receiving the combination of (1) a traveling body,

(2) a longitudinal shaft mounted centrally on said body, (3) a crane-arm on said shaft, (4) gearing to operate said crane-arm, (5) load-carrying means on said crane-arm for picking up a load at one side of said body, and (6) means on said shaft to re ceive and transfer the load to a wagon standing at the other side of said body.

7. In a car-unloader, a body, elevated bearings forming a longitudinal axis above said body, a bucket to carry the materials from the car at one side of the body, mechanism operating about said axis to swing the bucket from the car to a position above said axis, means to operate said mechanism, and means including a hopper supported by said bearings to receive the load from the bucket, for transferring the materials to the opposite side of the body.

8. In a machine for handling materials, the combination of (1) a traveling body, (2) a longitudinal shaft mounted centrally on said body, (3) a crane-arm on said shaft, (4) gearing to operate said crane-arm, (5) load-carrying means on said crane-arm for picking up a load at one side of said body, and (6) means above said shaft to receive and transfer the load to a wagon standing at the other side of said body.

9. In a machine for handling materials, the combination of a body, means on said body to form a fixed axis, a pair of gears spaced apart and mounted to turn about said axis, members secured to said gears and forming a crane-arm, a bucket suspended from the end of said arm, instrumentalities on the body to operate and control said bucket, mechanism including pinions for engaging said gears to swing the crane-arm about said axis,'and means supported above said axis and between said gears toreceive the load from said bucket and to discharge the same from the side of the machine.

Signed by me at Chicago, Cook county, Illinois, this 17th day of August, 1917.

JAMES C. FRENCH.

fivecents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. 0. 

